A serving member of the National Youth Service Corp member Miss Chidinma Aaron, has emerged as the 42nd Miss Nigeria beauty queen.

Aaron, graduated from the Business Administration department of the Lead City University, Ibadan, beating her other contestants at a keenly competitive outing on Sunday night in Lagos. Chidinma displayed elegance and intelligent in her responses to questions she was asked.

The Beauty Queen who is currently serving as a Customer Relationship Manager in a private company, was also the pioneer female president of the National Association of Business Students.

The pageant also saw a 23-year-old Chisom Dinu, clinching the first runner-up position, while a Master’s degree holder, Munirah Ameh, bagged the position of the second runner-up.

Exuding pomp and pageantry, the new beauty queen expressed gratitude to God for seeing her coming top of the competition.

“I am really grateful to God for this great honour and opportunity to represent and serve my country.

“I thank all those who encouraged me to this new status,’’ the Aaron, who is a business entrepreneur, model and presenter said in her acceptance speech.

Earlier, the 1979 and 16th Miss Nigeria, Helen Prest, said the ‘Miss Nigeria contest’ had become a major empowerment boost for Nigerian girls for over 60 years.

“If given enough boost, women have the capability of changing the face of the world.

“That is why the organisers of Miss Nigeria have remained consistent in encouraging young girls,’’ Prest said.

The beauty queen, who mounted the throne at age 19 as the first undergraduate to become Miss Nigeria, said the contest had grown from a national event into an international one.

“This contest, which started in 1957, has become a major empowerment for young girls and has evolved from just a national event into an international pageantry.”

While crowning the new queen, the outgoing Miss Nigeria 2017, Mildred Ehiguese thanked everyone for their support through her one-year reign and promised to continue her childcare project.

“As my tenure comes to an end, my work has not ended.

“I’ll continue to lend a helping hand and putting smiles on people’s faces,’’ she said.

Also, the 40th Miss Nigeria queen, Chioma Obiadi, who decorated the first runner-up, Dinu, harped on the need to keep the flag of one family flying, as good ambassadors to country.

The major sponsor of the event, Heritage Bank, represented by the Divisional Head of Communications. Mr Fela Ibidapo, presenting the star prize of N3 million to the winner, said the focus of the bank was to project the Nigerian culture through the Miss Nigeria pageant.

“As a culture promoter, we are proud associating with the Miss Nigeria group in moving the Nigerian culture internationally,’’ he said.

Some of the judges at the pageant include Rita Dominic, Jasmine Tukur, Uredi Grace, Fade Ogunro, Lessi Vigboro, Olisa Adibua and Konye Nwabogor.